Learning Objectives

This course is designed to enable you to:

Understand the results of the study that investigated the safety, tolerability, and clinical effects of psilocybin, a potent serotonin agonist, in nine patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

CE/CME and PRICE

CE hours: 0.5 | fee:$5.00

Christopher Wiegand, M.D Results from a Study of Psilocybin to Treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Human

Course Description:
This study investigated the safety, tolerability, and clinical effects of psilocybin, a potent serotonin agonist, in nine patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Subjects participated in up to 4 single-dose exposures to psilocybin, separated by at least 1 week, in doses ranging from sub-hallucinogenic to frankly hallucinogenic. Sessions lasted 8-hours in a controlled clinical environment, followed by overnight hospitalization. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) was administered at specific intervals, and vital signs monitored. Marked decreases in OCD symptoms were observed in all subjects during 1 or more of the testing sessions (23%- 100% decrease in YBOCS score) and generally lasted at least 24 hours. In a controlled clinical environment, psilocybin was safely used in subjects with OCD and was associated with acute reductions in core OCD symptoms in several subjects.

Christopher Wiegand, M.D., is a psychiatrist currently in private practice in Tucson, Arizona. His clinical practice includes outpatient psychopharmacology and psychotherapy, hospital and nursing home consultation, and electroconvulsive therapy. In addition, Dr. Wiegand is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona; he participates in research, resident supervision, and medical student education. He received his B.A. in Archaeology at the University of Virginia in 1995, his M.D. at the University of Virginia in 1999, and completed Psychiatry residency training at the University of Arizona in June, 2003. Dr Wiegand will be discussing the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of psilocybin in patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).Date of original release: April 18, 2010
Termination date (date after which enduring material is no longer certified for credit): April 17, 2012